KEVIN WILSON: First, address the disease

When I looked at the calendar and realized it was already February, I wondered where January had went but then it dawned on me that for a large chunk of the month I was not even on this continent.

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Neosho Daily News - Neosho, MO

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Posted Jan. 31, 2013 at 9:24 PM
Updated Jan 31, 2013 at 9:26 PM

Posted Jan. 31, 2013 at 9:24 PM
Updated Jan 31, 2013 at 9:26 PM

When I looked at the calendar and realized it was already February, I wondered where January had went but then it dawned on me that for a large chunk of the month I was not even on this continent. My system is finally getting back to somewhat normal but it took me longer than I thought it would for that to happen.

But, February is here and I have to wish my wife Melody a happy birthday. The time I was in Africa was the longest we had been apart for almost 30 years and it is true that absence does make the heart grow fonder. So, happy 39th birthday (again) and thank you for being my best friend.

As I said, I'm starting to get back in the swing of things which for me means watching the news and getting upset. But, as I said in last week's column, my time in Africa has given me a different perspective on life, so I probably won't get as upset on some things as I used to.

When I turned 50 I found that I didn't suffer well those people that wasted my time – I figure that I need to cherish all the time that God gives me and I really hate having it wasted. Well, since my trip, I feel the same way about those people that make mountains out of molehills. There are too many important things that we need to focus on to let little issues bother us.

For example, I was watching a segment on TV about Super Bowl commercials and there was one from Volkswagen that featured a white male from Minnesota talking with a distinct Jamaican accent. Some people were critical of the ad and said that it was racist and reminiscent of the old "black face" comedians of the past. Give me a break. I thought it was hilarious and quite effective.

Well, in this case, the critics were definitely in the minority and a follow-up segment about the "controversy" showed that overwhelmingly people disagreed that it was racist. In fact, a Jamaican official has said that it was great and really highlighted the positive aspects of the country.

So why would the critics, who were white and not black, make such a deal out of something like this? Because their sense of so-called "political correctness" far exceeds their sense of humor. But, this just shows how some people will nitpick everything and get bent around the axle on little issues while there are so many truly important issues that we should be addressing.

And, since I want to practice what I preach, let's talk about an issue that is truly dominating the national scene – gun control. I know that I wrote about this a few weeks back but since the Newtown tragedy this appears to be the most important issue in Washington and the rest of the country.

Page 2 of 2 - My thoughts and defense of the 2nd Amendment are clear and unwavering and well-known to everyone who reads my column. I am following this debate intensely as I know many of you are also. I heard a comment from one Congressman that I thought was pretty revealing. I can't remember it exactly but he was basically saying we need to make decisions based on facts and the constitution and not just emotion.

No one can talk about the senseless loss of lives without feeling outrage and wanting to do something to prevent such things from happening again. But, we have to force ourselves to step back from the situation and not allow those emotions to circumvent the freedoms that Americans have fought and died to preserve.

Every day there is a new incident of senseless violence in this country and we as a nation have to address this epidemic. But, the problem is not in the weapons that are used to commit the violence but rather in the people who perpetrate that violence and a society that is getting used to seeing such things in the news. Yes, the weapon of choice is a gun but the deeper issue is why is this happening in the first place?

Any doctor will tell you that if you only address the symptom and not the disease itself then the patient will eventually die anyway. I think it is ironic that the city with the strongest gun control laws in the nation is also the city with the highest incidence of gun violence. That city is Chicago. Think about that one.